The 'luxury tax' on sparkling drinks such as champagne, prosecco and cava expires on 1 January 2017. A bottle will become on average 1.10 euros cheaper.

The special rate did not apply to cheaper bottles of prosecco with a screw cap. According to RTL ten million bottles sparkling beverage are sold annually. The adjustment of the taxes will cost the Dutch government approximately 10 million euros.

2012The adjustment of the special rate was already agreed on in 2012 in the budget agreement that the VVD, CDA, D66, GroenLinks and the Christian Union concluded .

For sparkling wine Dutch residents paid far more tax, because this was qualified as a more upscale product. "This difference is nowadays, including the emergence of cheaper sparkling products is no longer justified," was already mentioned in the elaboration of the budget agreement.

Excise duties

in recent years excise duties on alcohol have gone right up in the Netherlands. For alcoholic drinks consumers had to pay nearly 10 percent more in 2016 than in February 2011.

Liquor storesOf course we have to wait and see if the liquor stores and supermarkets will pass on this benefit to the consumers or that they will take this opportunity to increase their profit...